


Symphonic Dreams

by ArcanisRune



Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Gen, POV First Person, Shifting Tense, an idea that came into my head and now i can't get it out, elements from other series will be apparent here, please be cautious when reading!, some characters may be ooc slightly but i apologize for that, some squicks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:35:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27039565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcanisRune/pseuds/ArcanisRune
Summary: Sylvarant and Tethe'alla have always fought over who has the rights to the shared Mana resources. Tethe'alla has had many years of prosperity while Sylvarant declined. With Colette Brunel undertaking the Journey of Salvation, it seems obvious that the story would play out as intended.But then a wrench was thrown into the works. A wrench who sees herself as only a monster and nothing more.What will happen with the interference of this one solitary person?





	1. Into Sylvarant

**Author's Note:**

> I gave myself a deadline for writing this so I could focus on Scars of Wind. It's a plot bunny involving an AU version of my OC that I made up while HALF ASLEEP OH NOES!!!
> 
> That aside, some things may be wonky as I'm still playing through Symphonia and do not have a full grasp on the way the characters act as of yet. I'll probably be writing this as I go along in the story, and have planned updates for the future! This one will be a little shorter than my others since writing 3k+ words is not too feasible for me as of late. But anyways! Let's get this prologue started!

**An impressively long tower stood far, far in the distance.**

**Atop the tower laid the Chosen's fate.**

**But a hitch in the plans is in the works, for both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla**

**Therefore there is a chance...**

**History will be rewritten.**

* * *

I still remember the plastic in my hand. The car ahead suddenly hitting its brakes.

I still remember trying to stop and swerving, feeling the bag slip from my grip and seeing the groceries falling across the road. The screech of the tires, the multiple people stopping as I hit the cement wall dividing the right roads from the left. I'd been flung from my bike, and the helmet smacked against the cement. I heard a crack.

I was certain that this was it. That was alright, though. I shouldn't have been alive in the first place. I was, in a sense, supposed to have died while protecting this girl so long ago... I heard someone come up to me, ask me if I was alright. But I was so dizzy and in so much pain from the crash. The car that did that sped off in my fading vision. I could hear sirens, and I could hear someone telling me to stay with them and don't fall asleep.

My eyes closed, and I smiled.

_Finally, I'll be at peace._

* * *

The sweet embrace of death let me go, yet the pain didn't return. It had been a hard hit when I hit the cement wall and I didn't expect it to fade so easily. Yet, it did. How strange that was, to be in pain and yet wake up completely okay despite having hit the wall hard enough to break bones. Then again, it was something my body was used to after having been thrown around when the... the multiple bad guys had...

My head ached, thinking was a chore. I got up off the grassy green ground and took a look at my surroundings. Once before, I'd been taken from home when I'd been running from a man who saw me while he was robbing a store. I'd gone down an alley and forced my way into a locked back door... then tripped and fell down the stairs. How clumsy I'd been, to trip like that. So this was somewhat like that, except an accident where there shouldn't have been. I wasn't too sure of where I was, but all I knew was that I had a lingering headache. I touched my head, and felt my hand touch my hair. My helmet was gone. The surroundings got fuzzy for a moment, before I blinked and they came back into focus. The light was blinding, however, and I winced. Perhaps I was just sensitive to light and had a migraine right now. Though I'd had no pain at the start of me waking up, now I did. In my vision, I saw a forest ahead and a dirt path. If I followed the dirt path, I could probably find a place to rest and recover from the accident. It took a lot of energy to walk, and I was struggling with each step. I was weakened considerably, it seemed. It'd taken a lot out of me, and I had no idea how to fix it besides just finding a place to stay.

Hearing a whine to my left, which was followed by a low growl, I looked over. A strange-looking dog was standing there, with a brown-haired boy running up close behind. He was wearing a long-sleeved red shirt, blue overalls and red boots. Two wooden swords were strapped to his sides, and white buttons adorned his shirt along with a couple of white pieces of cloth that trailed behind him.

"Noishe! You left me behind!" The boy said. Noishe, who was the strange dog, whined and turned to look at the boy. It was only then that he noticed me. I could feel my legs wanting to give out, and forced myself to stay standing. "Is she what you were running towards?"

Noishe whimpered, and then moved aside. I could barely keep myself standing, and collapsed. The boy caught me almost as quickly. The world around me slowly faded, and I could hear the boy trying to get me to respond. I just didn't have the energy to. It was difficult to even keep myself up anymore. As the world faded, I heard Noishe whine again, and then all went silent.

* * *

When I woke up again, a wooden ceiling greeted me. The light shone in from the window, and I heard the sound of metal being worked on. A slight _tink, tink, tink_ filled my ears. I stayed laying there for a moment before finally sitting up with a groan. The light wasn't bothering me, and I felt better than I had been. Not too far from me was the same boy, sitting at a wooden desk with some tools nearby tinkering with something. He'd heard me, and set down the tools before getting up out of his chair and coming over to the bed.

"You're awake. Been asleep for two days, but Raine said you just needed to rest." The boy rubbed the back of his neck. "Are you feeling any better? You didn't look too good when you collapsed on me."

Ah! I'd been asleep for two days? "Ahaha, I'm fine. No worries! Sorry for troubling you like that." I gave a sheepish smile. "Where am I, by the way?"

"Oh, you're at my house. It's the only place Noishe can go without having to stay outside, and I couldn't carry you all the way to Iselia myself." Iselia? That was unfamiliar. I'd troubled this young man enough, though, so I wouldn't trouble him more with any questions that I probably should know the answer to. After all, it'd just be a burden to him. He was nice enough to take me to his house and let me rest, but that was too much.

"I see. I'm sorry I troubled you so much. I feel fine now, so I should probably head to Iselia." I said, getting out of the bed and making it back up. My feet didn't have my shoes on, so they were probably removed before I was put to bed. I saw them nearby, and went to get them. Putting them on, I rubbed my eyes a little. This was going to be some sort of day.

"Wait, are you leaving already? You're probably hungry after sleeping so long." The boy said, just as my stomach burbled at me. I laughed sheepishly, glad my face wasn't visible by him. I was embarrassed. I didn't need help, I could probably just get along fine! Somehow, that is... I'd have to figure that out for myself. Perhaps I could work in Iselia for room and board. But what could I do for them...? The boy patted me on the shoulder gently, having walked up to me just a few moments before. "We can go to Iselia afterwards." He had to go there, too? Well, there really was no reason for me to deny that...

"Er-" I looked at him, and he seemed sincere enough about it. It would be rude if I just said no, so I just gave a small nod in response. "I guess that'd be alright. Thank you, uh-" It was then I realized I didn't even know the boy's name. It felt weird. Usually after talking a bit, people would introduce themselves... Or so I'd believed. This was awkward, really.

"I'm sorry... What's your name, sir?"

"Sir? Don't need to call me that. I'm Lloyd." The boy, named Lloyd, responded.

"Lloyd. It's nice to meet you. I'm Melanie."

* * *

After meeting Lloyd's dad, Dirk, and then getting a talking to about oversleeping (Mostly on Lloyd's part, I was exempt due to having needed the rest), the two of us left the house and, along with Noishe, headed towards the village known as Iselia.

"You were pretty roughed up when you collapsed on me," Lloyd pointed out. "Did you get attacked?"

I had to think back. Technically, I'd been on my motorcycle and got into an accident due to a driver ahead of me... but would he believe that? Especially since it seemed that such vehicles didn't exist in this world. So I shook my head. There was no elaborate lie I could tell, to make things simple. "I had an accident, and it really hurt." That was the truth in a nutshell.

"Must've been pretty bad for you to collapse like that. It's a good thing you're doing better. Might've been bad if you never woke back up." I laughed a little nervously at that. If I hadn't woken back up, things would stay the same. I just wouldn't exist anymore, and that was actually fine.

A monster didn't deserve to exist, or dream.

"Would it have been bad?" I asked, curiosity in my voice.

"Don't you have a family? They'd be sad if you never woke up and came home." Lloyd responded matter-of-factly. I paused at that. My family... yeah, they would be for a while but wouldn't they be happier without me? I didn't voice this aloud, instead just shrugging and continuing onwards. My feelings on the matter were irrelevant. I, instead of responding, just looked over at him. This was a complicated matter, and... if I never woke up, things would have just kept going onward.

It was hard to respond without seeming depricatory of myself, so I chose not to.

As we headed down the dirt path. I noticed how there was another path going to the right towards... something. We passed it too fast for me to make it out properly, but I thought I saw a couple of people there. I wondered, for a moment, what they were doing there but didn't voice my thoughts. Instead, I continued following Lloyd as we headed towards Iselia. Noishe stayed outside of the village as we passed through the entrance. I glanced back and gave a little wave to him before we went further into the small village.

I paused for a moment as Lloyd headed towards one of the wooden houses, staring at the surroundings. This was where I would be spending most of my time, wasn't it? Closing my eyes and putting my hand to my mouth, I thought to myself.

_This is the start of another journey, isn't it?_


	2. The Oracle - Kratos Appears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Oracle arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter does contain elements from _Senki Zesshou Symphogear_ , though doesn't impact the story besides introducing the relic, Gungnir, from said series as well as some of Melanie's trauma.

The house turned out to be a schoolhouse, and I wasn't really sure if I belonged there. Lloyd motioned to the empty seat nearby, which I took as a sign to sit down in it. It was a really small classroom, which had me wondering how I'd do in this kind of environment. I hadn't been in school since I graduated, but that was neither here nor there. There was a blonde-haired girl who walked up to Lloyd and stood in front of his seat.

"Good morning, Lloyd! You're up early today!" She said, before looking to me. "Oh... is this the girl you found?"

"Yeah." Lloyd gave a nod before looking over at me and gesturing to the girl. "This is Colette, one of my friends. Colette, this is Melanie."

"It's nice to meet you." Colette clasped her hands in front of her chest, a warm smile on her face. I returned it as best as I could. Faking smiles had gotten easier over the months away from home, but this girl was so genuine that I felt bad about faking the smile.

"Nice to meet you too, Colette!" I said, holding out my hand. She looked confused for a moment before her face lit up and she shook my hand. As we made our pleasantries, another person walked in. A young boy with white hair who looked younger than both Colette and Lloyd.

"You're actually awake early and here on time for once!" The boy said. He, too, noticed me there. "Oh, you brought her here?"

"She said she had to come here, so I figured she could sit in on one of Raine's lessons." Lloyd said. The boy just sighed and went to sit down. Colette smiled sheepishly at me before shaking her head.

"Don't mind Genis. He's just a little grumpy." Colette said. I gave a small nod and watched her walk away before turning my attention to the window.

It went like a usual class, though the teacher turned out to be a woman named Raine, who had been the one to look me over. She had me introduce myself and gave the inclinaton that I was a guest in the class and not a regular student. I noted Lloyd dozed off, so I started poking him to wake him up. Because he hadn't been paying attention, Raine smacked him with the chalkboard eraser. Oof. That had to hurt. But standing up? That was a feat.

Though Lloyd didn't remember what they'd covered in the last class, so the question had been passed off to Genis. He'd responded appropriately, and Raine then covered the topic of the oracle and the Journey of World Regeneration. The thing was, though... it didn't sit right with me. Colette was a "Chosen One"? Did that mean that this Journey of World Regeneration included her in some way?

It just felt wrong. Weird, unnatural...

As I was contemplating over the feeling I had about this entire thing, a light shone from the window. The class was in shock, and I couldn't blame them. If I wasn't so desensitized to such a thing, I would've found it shocking too.

"Wh-what was that?!" Lloyd asked, heading towards the window.

"That's-!" Colette began, but Raine cut her off.

"Settle down, everyone. It would seem that the time for the oracle has come, so I will go and check on the chapel. Everyone stay here and study on your own. Understood?" She said, looking at the class before going to run off. Colette followed after. After a moment, Raine took off towards the chapel and I heard the three of them talking about something. They headed out not long after, and I followed behind.

* * *

The chapel.

The road leading up to it was fraught with danger, and I was trying to stay behind them as to not interfere. The last time I'd interfered in anything, I'd nearly gotten killed. That... wasn't something I wanted to revisit, watching someone die because of my own stupidity.

The scar on my chest ached a little and I put a hand up to it, touching my pendant in the process. A memento from the friends and the people I'd left behind. I paused for a moment, staring at the sky. That was when a hand found its place on my shoulder and I jolted before turning my gaze back to the road-

Or, what I thought was the road. Instead, I found myself facing Lloyd.

"You alright? You've been pretty quiet." He looked a little concerned.

"Sorry, I got lost in my- wait, did you know I was following this entire time?" I asked, a bit concerned.

"You aren't very discreet." Genis said matter-of-factly. "Anyway, come on, we need to hurry! My sister's still in the temple, as is Colette's grandmother!"

"Ah- right!" Lloyd took his hand off my shoulder and we started to run towards the temple. The light shone bright form the top of it, and it was very bright. A man walked down the hill very slowly and holding his bloodied side- he was injured.

"Chosen... one..." He collapsed in front of us, and it felt very surreal. I stared at him for a while, before finding myself looking at a woman with long, feathery hair holding a spear up high through eyes I could barely keep open. And then watching her fall, and seeing another come up to her and scream as the woman died...

"Melanie!"

I snapped back to the present, the voice still ringing in my ears loud and clear. It took a moment to fully realize I wasn't back there, but with Lloyd, Colette and Genis. The man wasn't moving. I looked at them, and then back at the road we'd come up.

"...I'll stay here and guard the entrance so nothing can come after you all." I said, turning away from them. In truth, it was a lie. I wanted to run from the memory of that day... I didn't want to see it again. The day I took someone's life...

"You sure? You're really out of it." Lloyd seemed concerned but I just nodded. "...Okay. C'mon, Colette. Genis. Let's go."

I heard them run up the path and sighed, closing my eyes for a moment. The sound of battle came nary a few moments later, with me hearing the sound of steel against wood. Opening my eyes, I noticed a man walking this way and I slowly slid one of my legs backwards while curling my hands into fists, raising them up slightly. Once he stood in front of me, it looked as if he meant no harm.

But I'd fallen for that enough times.

As I prepared myself for a fight, even though the man didn't draw his weapon, I heard Colette shriek, Lloyd yell and Genis cry out. My attention snapped from him to the path behind me. Oh no... Oh no, not again. Not again-

"Damn it!" I turned quick on my heel and started running up the path. Pulling off my pendant and holding it close to my chest. The words filled my mind as I ran as fast as my legs would allow. The four words that I'd said so many times before, that I didn't think I'd utilize again so soon-

" _Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tro—n!_ " I jumped as I hit the last word, stretching it as I twisted my body to land a kick onto the guy attacking them. He brought up a hammer to defend himself, and my boot connected just as the armor formed within seconds of the impact. I jumped off of it, landing in front of them as the man from before arrived right beside me.

"Melanie? And- who are you?" Lloyd's voice caught me off guard there for a minute. He sounded hurt, and I looked behind me to him. He looked battered. So did Genis and Colette, and I felt bad for staying behind. But I turned my attention back to the guy. He swung the ball and chain around, and I took a deep breath, hearing the music fill my ears.

The words didn't take too long to follow.

I started to run in, curling my right hand into a fist. The man flanked him, and we attacked in sync. My punch connected against their chest, and the sword the man had drawn connected with the soft flesh of his stomach, tearing it. And then he attacked swinging his hammer at me and the ball at the man. The man brought up his shield and blocked while I jumped backwards, out of the way before jumping back into the fray.

" _I'm fighting to hold it out_

 _A wish within my mind  
Within the dark, the everlasting light  
Has faded out from the sky-_"

Punch after punch, and a kick to mix it up, and my voice strained with some words that I was singing as I attacked. The man was timing his attacks along with mine. The ball came after me, and I put my hands in front of me to catch it, the force making me skid backwards but, luckily, I wasn't hurt. Just a bit annoyed he was trying to knock me over. Pushing it back towards the other side, I clenched my fist tight and felt as the mechanisms started to shift and change, the gauntlet I was wearing flipping a handle in front of my fist and extend outwards by a bit.

" _-Even though I've blamed myself  
Even with these bloodied hands  
I will someday forgive the  
Cruelty that life had given me!"_

I stomped my right foot forward, and my left leg back before flinging myself back at the guy attacking the man that was assisting me in the fight. My fist found its mark, punching right into the guy's chest yet again. I heard a crack, and saw the plating on his chest starting to crack apart. The man took this opportunity to finish the fight as I jumped back, slamming his sword into the man's chest.

Two deaths in one day, but this one had...

"Switch off." I said, taking a breath. The armor that previously covered me dispersed, leaving me in my normal clothing from before I'd activated it. Thankfully, I didn't have to put my pendant back on as it reformed into a necklace and was back where it'd been before I'd pulled it off earlier. There were more men there than I'd seen, but they retreated after seeing the man that had fought beside me.

An old woman came out from the temple, and I had to surmise that this was Colette's grandmother that had been mentioned earlier by Genis.

"Amazing..." I heard Lloyd say. Oh-! I turned to them and helped them all back up. I had no way to heal their injuries, so I couldn't really do much about that. That was when the man from behind had finally decided to walk up to us and inquired if anyone was hurt. The only thing was a few scrapes and bruises, but the man had used something to heal the scrapes so they wouldn't have to deal with them. It didn't seem natural, and I was very confused about it. What had been the purpose of what he'd done?

Though, Colette's grandmother talked about protecting the Chosen. Colette was the Chosen and the man, who introduced himself as Kratos, was hired as her protector due to Colette's grandmother not having much choice.

"I'll help out." I said. Maybe this journey would help Colette in some way, and I was all for that. "I'm capable at fighting, even without my armour." That was true, thankfully. My mentor had trained me well, and I had no qualms about fighting without the armour that had been covering me earlier.

"Hmm... I don't see a problem with that. Kratos?" Colette's grandmother looked at Kratos, who then looked to me. I glanced back at him and gave the biggest smile I could.

"She can handle herself, so I don't see a problem with it. Her fighting capabilities will help protect the Chosen." It seemed I had the seal of approval. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked behind me to Lloyd, who pat my shoulder before moving past me.

"I'm going too!" He announced. Kratos looked at him, as if sizing him up. The same way he'd looked at me before saying I could help out. Folding his arms against his chest, Kratos shook his head.

"You'd only get in the way." That was that, it seemed. "Be a good boy, Lloyd, and stay here."

It seemed Kratos had veto rights, so I didn't protest it. Lloyd wasn't using real swords, so he would be more of a liability... And I didn't want him to get hurt no matter what happened. So it was best if he stayed behind.

However, Lloyd didn't feel that way. With him telling Kratos he'd follow regardless, and telling Genis to come along with us...

It was time to enter the temple for Colette to receive the Oracle.


End file.
